Low toxicity primer composition

Abstract

A low toxicity primer composition is provided incorporating a heavy-metal free primer explosive sensitizer, metallic fuel and an oxidizer selected from an oxidizer selected from the group consisting of cesium nitrate, strontium sulfate, strontium oxalate, sodium oxalate, nitroguanadine, guanadine nitrate, penthrite, zirconium oxide, and mixtures thereof.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property is claimed are as follows: 
     
       1. A priming composition suitable for small arms primers which comprises: (a) a percussion-sensitive organic primary explosive;   (b) a sensitizer for mechanically activating said explosive;   (c) a metallic fuel; and   (d) an oxidizer selected from the group consisting of cesium nitrate, sodium oxalate, nitroguanadine, guanadine nitrate, penthrite, zirconium oxide, and mixtures thereof wherein said composition is otherwise substantially free of heavy metals.     
     
     
       2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the percussion-sensitive organic primary explosive is diazodinitrophenol. 
     
     
       3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the sensitizer is selected from the group consisting of glass, calcium silicide and silica microspheres and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       4. The composition of claim 3 wherein the sensitizer is glass. 
     
     
       5. The composition of claim 1 wherein the metallic fuel is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, aluminum, zirconium, titanium, and cerium-magnesium and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       6. The composition of claim 1 wherein the metallic fuel is aluminum. 
     
     
       7. The composition of claim 1 wherein the oxidizer is zirconium oxide. 
     
     
       8. The composition of claim 5 wherein the oxidizer is zirconium oxide. 
     
     
       9. The composition of claim i comprising the following components by weight: 25 to 43% diazodinitrophenol by weight, 0 to 10% aluminum, 5 to 20% of glass, between 22 and 46% of zirconium oxide and between 3 to 8% pentaerythritol tetranitrate, the total of all components being 100% by weight. 
     
     
       10. The composition of claim 9 wherein said components are present substantially in the proportions: 32% diazodinitrophenol, 15% glass, 6% aluminum, 41% zirconium oxide, and 6% pentaerythritol tetranitrate, all percentages being calculated by weight. 
     
     
       11. The composition of claim 2 wherein an effective amount of zirconium is provided as the sole or predominant oxidizer. 
     
     
       12. The composition of claim 3 wherein an effective amount of zirconium is provided as the sole or predominant oxidizer. 
     
     
       13. The composition of claim 1 wherein zirconium is the sole or predominant oxidizer, supplying at least 6% of the total oxygen consumed in the combustion of the primer composition. 
     
     
       14. The composition of claim 3 wherein zirconium is the sole or predominant oxidizer, supplying at least 6% of the total oxygen consumed in the combustion of the primer composition. 
     
     
       15. The use of the composition of claim 1 as a primer. 
     
     
       16. A cartridge having a primer as described in claim 1. 
     
     
       17. A method of forming a priming composition suitable for small arms primer which comprises blending a mixture of: (a) a percussion-sensitive organic primary explosive,;   (b) a sensitizer for mechanically activating said explosive;   (c) a metallic fuel; and   (d) an oxidizer selected from the group consisting of cesium nitrate, strontium sulfate, strontium oxalate, sodium oxalate, nitroguanadine, guanadine nitrate, penthrite, zirconium oxide, and mixtures thereof wherein said composition is otherwise substantially free of heavy metals.